Text caching

Without SEO problems

[vincevincevince]

We allow caching of javascript, images and CSS files, but not of the actual text on the page. Seems to me that it would be great to be able to write:

<div src="footerlinks.html" />

...and have it equivalent to placing footerlinks.html in there directly for SEO purposes, but meaning that you don't have to serve up the text every page load due to caching.

IFRAMES are a way around this but they are practically ignored for SEO purposes.

So, I am looking at javascript based methods. Probably combined with something server-side.

My current idea is that the first page-view should test for javascript, then if it is enabled - to implement <div src=""> in all future pages, using javascript to do the deed via a hidden IFRAME to load the document and then copy the innerHTML into the DIV.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this matter?

[RonPK]

FWIW: I doubt whether such a method would reduce bandwidth usage or page load time - if that is what you're after. The request for footerlinks.html would mean another trip to the server, which would probably eliminate any speed gain. As for bandwidth: if the text is sent compressed (with mod_deflate or the likes) there hardly will be any bandwidth usage left, compared to the bandwidth used by images.

[vincevincevince]

In terms of the extra trip to the server - if the file is given out with proper validity headers that shouldn't be a problem. I'm thinking of membership type sites in particular where you are likely to see the same text time and time again...